Politudes provides information capsules, summaries and commentary on national and international developments in social policy, research on social well-being, and the effectiveness of social programs and systems

Category: Social policy

by Terrance Hunsley Premier Doug Ford did not waste time in getting rid of the Ontario basic income experiment. He slammed the door on hopes that advocates had for provincial action to reduce poverty in Ontario. He simultaneously rolled back a decision by the previous government to increase disability benefits by about one percent … More Poverty Reduction: The Saga Continues

by Terrance Hunsley 5th in a series; Futures Entwined: The Nation State and the Welfare State … in the United States, for men born in 1930 those in the top 20 per cent of earners have a 5-year longer life expectancy than those in the bottom 50 per cent. For people born in 1960, the … More A Response to Poor Health and Low Income Among Older Workers

Fourth in a Series: Futures Entwined: The Nation State and the Welfare State by Terrance Hunsley Many people, especially social advocacy groups, feel that government commitments to the welfare state started a long period of retrenchment in the late seventies. The idea that a country can insulate its citizens from economic risk and … More Are Canada and OECD Countries Reducing Income Inequality?

Second in a series on: Futures Entwined: The nation-state and the welfare state by Terrance Hunsley How is the European Union dealing with inequality, the global economy, population movement, and political cracks in the state of the union? The EU is suffering from the close call with Greece. It is struggling with Brexit. It is … More Bland Pudding – The European Pillar of Social Rights

by Terrance Hunsley First in a Series It was a nice little quip for amateur philosophers. In Nixon’s 1972 visit to China, Premier Zhou Enlai was asked about the French Revolution and the development of democracy, and was reported to have replied “..it is too early to say.” Had that story not been debunked, those … More Futures Entwined: The Nation State and the Welfare State

by Terrance Hunsley The NAFTA negotiations are likely to be a tough uphill slog, given Mr Trump’s belligerent stance. It is hard to see how Canada will make much headway on subjects such as gender rights, indigenous rights and environmental regulations. But these issues are affected by international trade agreements, as is the whole range … More Protecting Human Rights in Trade Agreements

By Terrance Hunsley HUMA – the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development, and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, (the name rolls right off the tongue, doesn’t it.) has spent a year hearing from Canadian experts, social advocates, municipal and business leaders, about what the federal government can do to … More Parliamentary Committee Reports on National Strategy for Poverty Reduction